The Washington Commanders are getting ready for the third season of the Dan Quinn era, and the expectations remain high.

The Commanders have a 17-game slate full of challenges and opportunities against some of the league's best teams. Super Bowl contenders like the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers loom later in the year along with talented teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans. There's even another international game in the near future against the Indianapolis Colts in London.

Now that the season is on the horizon, Commanders.com is going to break down each of Washington's opponents. We're moving on to the 49ers, who will host the Commanders on Monday Night Football.

GAME INFORMATION

Date: Oct. 19
Time: 8:15 p.m.
Location: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

Individual stats leaders

• Passing Yards -- QB Brock Purdy (2,167)
• Passing TDs -- QB Brock Purdy (20)
• Rushing Yards -- RB Christian McCaffrey (1,202)
• Rushing TDs -- RB Christian McCaffrey (10)
• Receiving Yards -- RB Christian McCaffrey (924)
• Receiving TDs -- WR Jauan Jennings, WR Ricky Pearsall and TE George Kittle (9)
• Tackles -- LB Dee Winters (101)
• Sacks -- DE Clelin Ferrell and DE Bryce Huff (4)
• Interceptions -- S Ji'Ayir Brown and CB Deommondore Lenoir (2)

Key additions in free agency

• WR Mike Evans
• DE Dre Greenlaw
• T Vederian Lowe
• CB Nate Hobbs
• TE Jake Tonges
• LB Luke Gifford
• WR Christian Kirk

2026 Draft class

• WR De'Zhaun Stribling
• EDGE Romello Height
• RB Kaelon Black
• DT Gracen Halton
• OL Carver Willis
• CB Ephesians Prysock
• LB Jaen Dugger
• T Enrique Cruz Jr.

Key questions

• Can they get more production out of the pass rush? There was a stretch where the 49ers could be relied upon for having one of the better pass-rushing defenses in the NFL with four top 11 finishes from 2019-23. Over the last two seasons, however, they have been in the bottom half of the league in producing sacks and had a league-low 20 in 2025. Some of that is because of the injuries to defensive end Nick Bosa, who missed most of the season with a torn ACL in Week 3. When healthy, Bosa can produce double-digit sacks and be in contention for the Defensive Player of the Year award, which he won in 2022, but the 49ers need more around him, particularly if Bosa needs more time to return to full speed. They're banking on free agent Greenlaw and draft pick Height to help elevate their pass rush, but they also need to get more out of players like Osa Odighizuwa, C.J. West and Keion White. The potential is certainly there, and if Bosa can get up to speed quickly, it could be a formidable group.

• Will the investments in the receiver position pay off? McCaffrey led the 49ers in rushing and receiving yards last season, which is impressive for a running back who just turned 30. However, regardless of how well the 49ers did without a bevy of weapons, it's not a formula that normally leads to success. So, the 49ers set out to change that this offseason and gave Purdy receivers to work with. They signed Evans, who has 11 1,000-yard seasons in his career, away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as Kirk in free agency. In the draft, they added Stribling, who had back-to-back 800-yard seasons to wrap up his college career. What's more, the team is expecting more out of Pearsall -- a first-round pick in 2024 who has only played in 20 games over the last two seasons but had 528 yards in 2025. Like the pass rush, there is potential for the offense to have a better arsenal of weapons in 2026.

• Can the roster stay healthy? Despite their finishing 12-5, there's a certain level of disappointment that came with the 49ers' 2025 season. They managed to have one of the best records in the NFL with several injuries to key players. Bosa sat out for most of the year, but Pearsall only played in nine games and Purdy was out for half the year. Thankfully, the 49ers managed to stay afloat with Mac Jones at quarterback, but it's not a consistent formula to rely on backups to get the job done. They must remain healthy in 2026 to remain competitive in their own division, never mind the conference. The Seahawks are the Super Bowl champions and looking to make another run, but the Rams might be the most complete team now that Myles Garrett is a member of their pass rush. The NFC West had three teams in the playoffs last season, and there's a chance that happens again in 2026, but if the 49ers want to have a deeper postseason run, they need to be at full strength.